Ludwig Göransson, right, and Ryan Coogler, left, have been friends since they met in film school at the University of Southern California. Göransson scored Coogler’s student film “Locks,” and since then has continued their collaboration on “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed” and “Creed II,” and “Black Panther,” for which Göransson is nominated for both a Grammy and an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Ludwig Göransson heads to the Grammy Awards on Sunday with four chances to win – nominated three times for his collaborations with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino, and once for his score to the Marvel superhero film “Black Panther.”

Two weeks later, he’ll slip back into his fancy clothes for a night at the Oscars where his “Black Panther” score is also nominated.

So yeah, it’s a good month to be Ludwig Göransson, but as the 34-year-old talks about the journey from his hometown in Sweden to the bright lights of Hollywood, the feeling that comes through is that he’s happier about the friendships he’s made along the way than the fancy destinations at which he’s arrived.

Ludwig Göransson, right, and Ryan Coogler, left, have been friends since they met in film school at the University of Southern California. Göransson scored Coogler’s student film “Locks,” and since then has continued their collaboration on “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed” and “Creed II,” and “Black Panther,” for which Göransson is nominated for both a Grammy and an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Ludwig Göransson is nominated for four Grammy Awards for his work with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino and his score to the movie “Black Panther.” His “Black Panther” score is also nominated for an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Ludwig Göransson is nominated for four Grammy Awards for his work with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino and his score to the movie “Black Panther.” His “Black Panther” score is also nominated for an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Ludwig Göransson is nominated for four Grammy Awards for his work with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino and his score to the movie “Black Panther.” His “Black Panther” score is also nominated for an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Ludwig Göransson is nominated for four Grammy Awards for his work with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino and his score to the movie “Black Panther.” His “Black Panther” score is also nominated for an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

Michael B. Jordan is seen in “Black Panther,” which is among the Best Picture nominees for the 2019 Oscars. (Marvel Studios-Disney via AP)

Ludwig Göransson is nominated for four Grammy Awards for his work with hip-hop artist Childish Gambino and his score to the movie “Black Panther.” His “Black Panther” score is also nominated for an Oscar. (Photo by Austin Hargrave)

This image released by Disney shows a scene from Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther.” On Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, the film was nominated for an Oscar for best picture. The 91st Academy Awards will be held on Feb. 24, 2019. (Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios-Disney via AP)

“It’s extremely exciting and something you dream about all your life,” Göransson says. “Especially growing up on the other side of the world, watching the Oscars and all these awards shows, and now you’re nominated.

“It feels surreal.”

Göransson was 8 when he heard Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and knew he wanted to make music his life.

He was a teenager who had discovered the majesty and beauty of the film scores of John Williams and Danny Elfman when he composed his first orchestral piece and marveled when he heard a professional symphony play it live.

While still in college in Sweden studying jazz and improvisation, he earned a seat in the University of Southern California’s screen scoring program and found himself traveling to the United States for the first time.

“It was kind of shock, you know, coming to a city like this, feeling like the smallest person in the world,” Göransson says. “But it was an incredible gateway to understanding what the business was like.”

His instructors encouraged all of the students to collaborate with film students as much as possible for the practical experience and “because you never know who’s going to be the next Steven Spielberg.”

Göransson had already met a directing student named Ryan Coogler through a mutual friend and a few games of pool, and when Coogler was finishing his student film “Locks” he asked Göransson to score it.

They clicked, and have continued the collaboration since, teaming up for Coogler-directed films such as “Fruitvale Station,” both “Creed” movies, and eventually “Black Panther.”

“He’s such an inspiring person,” Göransson says of Coogler. “The way he talks with such a big heart and so much passion, you just feel like you’re boiling with inspiration.”

Coogler also embraced Göransson’s offbeat ideas for film music. For “Fruitvale Station,” Göransson visited BART stations in the Bay Area to record the ambient sounds and mix them into the score. For “Creed,” he did the same in a boxing gym, using a boxer’s speedbag pat-a-pat-a-pats and jump-roping beats for rhythms in the music.

“For ‘Black Panther’ it was a whole other level,” Göransson says. “I read the script and told Ryan there’s no way I can score this without going to Africa to study and learn the musical language.”

He and his wife set off for Senegal and South Africa, befriending the legendary Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, who invited them to come on tour for a few weeks. Göransson recorded as much as he could for use back home in the studio.

“I remember seeing it for the first time,” Göransson says of the four-hour rough cut Coogler showed him before he’d finished his score. “I called my wife, I think I was crying. I was telling her it’s the ‘Star Wars’ of our generation.”

Another of his early scoring gigs after finishing his USC studies came on the sitcom “Community,” where a friendship with actor Donald Glover led to his second longterm collaborative partnership.

Glover had been at Göransson’s studio to record a bit for the show and the two hit it off. A week later, Glover sent him a song and asked if he knew someone who might mix it, Göransson volunteered, and it became the first mixtape released by Glover as his hip-hop alter ego Childish Gambino.

Since then Göransson has co-written and produced nearly every Childish Gambino recording since. This year he and Glover are co-nominated for “This Is America” for record of the year and song of the year, as well as “Feels Like Summer” for best R&B song.

“When you’re as lucky as me to work with two incredible visionaries and artists like Ryan Coogler and Donald Glover, in terms of understanding their minds and getting the inspiration, it’s a similar process for me. I’m just trying to help them take their painting and make it as great as possible.”

A prolific composer even away from his two friends and collaborators – in addition to “Black Panther” and “Creed II” he also scored “Death Wish,” “Slice” and “Venom” in 2018 – his next project, writing the music for the Star Wars universe TV series “The Mandalorian,” is one more wish fulfilled.

“I don’t think there’s any other dreams that are bigger than writing for a Star Wars film,” he says. “John Williams is the most incredible film composer in the world. I know I’ve got some big shoes to fill, but to be part of that legacy, I’m extremely honored.”

Peter Larsen has been the Pop Culture Reporter for the Orange County Register since 2004, finally achieving the neat trick of getting paid to report and write about the stuff he's obsessed about pretty much all his life. He regularly covers the Oscars and the Emmys, goes to Comic-Con and Coachella, reviews pop music, and conducts interviews with authors and actors, musicians and directors, a little of this and a whole lot of that. He grew up, in order, in California, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oregon. Graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. with degrees in English and Communications. Earned a master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Earned his first newspaper paycheck at the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, fled the Midwest for Los Angeles Daily News and finally ended up at the Orange County Register. He's taught one or two classes a semester in the journalism and mass communications department at Cal State Long Beach since 2006. Somehow managed to get a lovely lady to marry him, and with her have two daughters. And a dog named Buddy. Never forget the dog.